


Who are you?

by nadagio



Series: Memory Of You [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galaxy Garrison, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pre-Canon, Rejection, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 18:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10622379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadagio/pseuds/nadagio
Summary: Keith mistakes rivalry for attraction and asks out a fellow cadet. Feelings get hurt on both sides.





	

“Hey, Lance!”

Down the hall, Lance stopped and looked around. When he saw Keith, the boy seemed confused. Understandable. Keith had never been the one to seek out his company before. It was always the other way around.

But Keith had been thinking things through, and he made his decision.

“Keith?” Lance spoke his name like a question, sharing a glance with the cadet beside him. Hank, maybe? Keith wasn’t good with names. Or faces. Or people, really.

“Yeah. Hey,” Keith said, approaching. “Can I talk to you?”

Lance narrowed his eyes and frowned. “What? Why?”

“I just want to ask you something,” Keith said, his tone a bit short. He eyed Lance’s friend. Could Keith do this with an audience? It seemed like that would be awkward.

“Um, hi. I’m just gonna… go, then,” Maybe-Hank said, already edging away. “Bye.”

“Wait- no!” Lance yelped, reaching out. But his friend was gone, and they were alone. Lance crossed his arms and turned back to Keith. “Ugh. What do you want, then?”

“To ask you if...” Keith hesitated long enough to take a full breath. Was he really going to do this? Yes, yes he was. “If you want to go into town with me this weekend. Grab some food or whatever.”

There was several moments of silence, during which Lance contorted his face into something that might have been puzzlement or disgust or nausea.

“...You want to go into town. With me. And eat food.”

“...Yes.”

Lance leaned in to examine Keith carefully, eyes darting across his face like the meaning of the universe could be read in his pores.

“Why!?” he asked finally. His confusion was confusing. Lance wasn’t usually this dense, was he?

“So we can spend time together?” Keith said slowly. “Have fun? You know. Date things.”

“DATE!?” The pitch of Lance’s voice could be described as piercing. “You’re asking me out on a date?”

“Yes.” Keith shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms. How was he supposed to interpret that response? “So?”

"Why are you asking me out on a date?” Lance had recovered from his surprise and returned to conveying deep suspicion.

“Why are you asking so many questions? It’s a simple yes or no, Lance!”

“Dude. I’m just confused. Don’t you hate me?”

“No. Don’t you like me?”

“WHAT!!?” Lance literally jumped back several feet. His face flushed, and he looked around at the few others in the hall who had startled at his screeching. He then rushed back in to whisper, “Keith! I don’t- why would you think I like you?”

“Well,” Keith raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Maybe because you’re always staring at me? Coming up to talk to me? Trying to get my attention? Are you saying that you _don’t_?”

“No! I mean, yes _I don’t like you_!” Lance said, waving his hands around to emphasize his denial. “You’re my rival, Keith. I want to be better- I mean, I _am_ better than you. I keep an eye on you ‘cause you’re the enemy. Taunt you so you know how much better I am!”

“Oh.” Keith felt something heavy curling in his gut. Sour and discontent. “That’s stupid.”

“No, _you’re_ stupid!” The comeback was immature, and their whole conversation was devolving into something stupid.

“Whatever,” Keith muttered. He turned to leave. “Nevermind.”

“But- wait! You were-” Lance paused. Then gasped theatrically. “You asked me out on a _date_. Does that mean _you_ like _me_?”

“No.” Keith felt his shoulders rise with defensive tension.

“You _do_!” Lance crowed. He wiggled a little dance. “Keith! Oh, man! I know this handsome face gets the ladies swooning, but I didn’t know it could get the great-”

“Shut up, Lance!” Keith turned back to snarl at the boy. “I don’t hate you but I definitely don’t _like_ you either.”

Keith stepped closer to get in his face. To make sure each word hit home. To make sure Lance hurt like Keith did.

“You just seemed so _desperate_. So _pathetic_ ,” he sneered. “I thought I’d do you a favor and take pity on the poor idiot who liked me. But it turns out you don’t. Even better. No need for me to waste my time.”

Lance paled at the start of his rant, but by the time Keith was done the boy’s face twisted into something bitter.

“Yeah, glad we got that cleared up,” Lance said, voice dark. “Wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

Without another word, Keith walked away. Stride carefully controlled to be normal, not running or stomping.

Lance didn’t approach him after that, and Keith told himself he was glad. He told himself that the glaring didn’t bother him, that he didn’t want to spend time with an immature idiot anyway, that he was better off without someone who saw him as the enemy and made fun of his feelings.

Then Shiro was gone, and Keith got kicked of school. Months of living on his own in the desert with only his theories and a weird energy to keep him company, and Keith told himself he was done feeling hurt about petty things like self-absorbed boys.

Until one night more than a year later in the middle of rescuing Shiro from the Galaxy Garrison, a self-absorbed boy walked back into his life. A little taller, his face a little thinner, and hair a little longer.

All the hurt and resentment bubbled back up and poured out of his throat as feigned ignorance.

_You think I care about you? You think your words matter to me? **No.**_

“Who are you?”

“Who am I?” the boy huffed. “Uh, the name’s _Lance_.”

**Author's Note:**

> So Keith either doesn't remember Lance from the Garrison in episode 1 (boring explanation, little drama) or pretends to forget. This is me speculating on why he might choose to pretend.
> 
> Because the end is too sad for me otherwise, I imagine they work things out and get together later. Maybe I'll write it and make a series?
> 
> Edit: Now part of a series. Read on!


End file.
